Sakura in the Snow
by Conterra-san
Summary: Ichigo is training in Soul Society, silently watching Rukia change and grow into the powerful young woman she always should have been. But when a conflict springs up between the Kuchiki siblings, he has to wonder if Rukia grew up a little too fast. . .
1. Washed Out Cover

A/N: Hello everyone! This is an Ichiruki story that takes place Ichigo's freshman year in college—but instead of going full time to college he went to Soul Society to train, and he takes night classes part time in the living world. It is an AU, that drifts off during the lull in the middle of the Arrancar arcs. Aizen is sitting tight for now, but still at large (not very important to this story).

It is therefore a sequel to _Handprints and the Rain_: BUT IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO READ THAT STORY. It will be helpful, but not necessary. Chad gave him a letter before he left; he is no longer afraid of the rain. Now, on to the beginning of an Ichiruki phenomenon.

This is dedicated to my friend Carrie, who has been waiting very patiently. Her work can be found under her penname **carrietheninja**.

**Sakura in the Snow**

**Chapter 1: **

**Washed-out Cover**

It was raining.

Ichigo stared dismally out of the window, desperately wishing that it would stop.

But of course, even _that_ wasn't the same anymore.

Now, he saw the rain and wished for it to stop only so that he could go train with one of the captains—whoever's turn it was today. He wasn't good at keeping track.

He jumped up impatiently, absently brushing his fingers against the picture frame on his desk. The somewhat sentimental object appeared rather innocuous to the casual observer, but a few of those close to him in the Seireitei knew that it meant so, so much more.

In the frame was a somewhat goofy shot of Ichigo and his high school friends taken at a time when "transfer students" were included with the group: Hitsugaya was sulking in the background next to Chad, Matsumoto and Orihime were beaming twin smiles, Ishida was awkwardly draping his arms around Mizuiro and Orihime, and Keigo was backed by Ikkaku and Yumichika. Ichigo and Rukia were caught in the middle of a minor fight, but somehow it fit perfectly into the mood of their dysfunctional group.

But tucked behind the photo was Chad's parting letter, the one he'd given Ichigo right before Ichigo had left for the Soul Society instead of a university.

The letter that had finally helped him to stop hating the rain.

But the rain was still making him depressed, today, because he was lonely, something he would have had a hard time admitting to even himself a few years prior.

He missed his friends, and, more than he'd care to admit, he missed Rukia.

Ever since the disaster in Hueco Mundo, Byakuya, Renji and Rukia had slowly but surely began to get along as a group. Renji and Rukia had merely needed to renew their friendship, but Byakuya had had to forge two new ones. At first Ichigo had felt irrationally left out; it would have been easier if he hadn't had to see them so often—the three of them were frequent live-ins or visitors—or if he could acknowledge the fact that they weren't technically supposed to be a part of his world.

It was odd, Ichigo reflected, feeling as though he unexpectedly had two brothers home from college half the time. Rukia was normal; she went to school with him. Renji and Byakuya, on the other hand, were harder to explain. It had taken longer (especially between Byakuya and Ichigo) but soon Ichigo had adjusted to his new way of life and the four of them had formed decidedly odd friendships together, albeit strong ones.

He was glad he had Renji, whom he guessed was his best friend next to Chad, here in the Seireitei because it made Chad's absence easier. Renji couldn't replace the loyal giant, but he could eclipse the gap. And Ichigo and Renji were so alike it was scary at times.

But ever since Rukia and Byakuya had begun to get along properly, Rukia's power and prestige had slowly grown, causing problems Ichigo never would have imagined.

He never would have thought his life could be so different without Rukia. She had come back after his disastrous rescue of her in the Seireitei too soon for him to truly miss her, and he had always known when she would come back, or at least that she _would_ be back, after her periodic returns to the Soul Society. When she had first explained to him that she was a temporary seat in the third division in order to train for a more prominent position and that she might not come back for a very long time, if at all, he accepted it. But as the weeks dragged on, even with a visit or two from Renji, it began to dawn on him that something was very visibly wrong with his life.

Prestige for Rukia he appreciated. Whenever he was with her and people started whispering, he got pissed off—he _hated_ being talked about—but when he saw them whispering just around Rukia, hearing that it was in awe of her as an individual, it made him swell with pride. Rukia was quickly growing in acceptability and in fame. It felt good to see the amazing woman he knew she was get the credit she deserved.

But it came at a price. Nothing had really changed when she had come back to stay for awhile, glowing, to tell him that she was now the Fourth Seat in Squad Thirteen, but he had realized with a jolt that she was the cause of the nagging, empty feeling permeating his life. He'd missed her. A lot.

And no matter how much she grew in skill, he still felt the deep-seated prickling—another thing he didn't want to admit, but it _was_ worry—that drove him to be overprotective. It made him feel _needed_. That no matter where she went she might still need someone's help, and Ichigo could be that person to help her. For some reason, Ichigo thought, looking back at the raindrops slithering down the pane, he honest to God wanted to be the person she could always rely upon.

Kind of like one could rely on the rain to come again, and again, and again.

He grinned, ruffling his hair and then stretching languorously. God, he was sentimental.

He just found it annoying that he saw more of Byakuya, with whom he now shared some weird sort of understanding, than Rukia these days.

Not that he knew exactly _why_ he cared so much, or wanted to know why.

He had thought that balancing paperwork, training, part-time classes in the real world, and hollow extermination missions would distract him from the seething confusion he felt inside.

With his other friends gone for now, his main focus was on Renji, Byakuya, and Rukia, his best friends in the Seireitei. Especially since, rather uncharacteristically, Ichigo thought, Byakuya had let him stay in the Kuchiki mansion for an indefinite length of time. Of course, now he was acquainted with hundreds of others in the Soul Society, but only a few of them were completely familiar with him. And so Rukia's presence—something so normal and strangely comforting—was sorely missed when she was gone.

Which was more often than necessary, in his opinion. Like the damn pointless training mission she was away on right now.

He pushed open the door to his room and padded through the dimly lit hallway, figuring that after he grabbed some food from the kitchen, maybe he'd find something to do. He wound his way through some of the obscure back passages that were usually used by the servants—he had found the passages almost instantaneously when he had arrived in an effort to avoid the other nobles living in this monster of a house. When he emerged into the almost intolerably bright kitchen, he was met by a host of stares.

"What're you lookin' at?" he groused as he rummaged in his favorite cabinet. The servants were used to him by now, and he was even pretty good friends with a good deal of them because of his down to earth, easy-going nature. So if they were staring at him, something was definitely up.

He turned back around with an apple and some rice balls in his hands, and, looking up, he was slightly shocked to see most of the servants still staring at him.

"Ok, seriously, what the hell?" he growled, looking expectantly at the head cook, a matronly woman who had immediately taken him under her wing when he had arrived, somewhat lost and annoyed. She was kind, and had introduced him to her son Akira, who, after a small misunderstanding, was now his closest friend among the servants.

The woman, Shuni, winced and looked frantically around. She had never been good at hiding worry; she still shrieked and rushed to bring him tea and ice bags every time Ichigo turned up in her domain with bandages somewhere on his body. Just that she was unnerved was enough to tell him that something—even though it might be small—was wrong. "Oh, Kurosaki-kun," she gushed, coming over and herding him through his loud complaints to one of the small break tables on one side of the enormous room, "I was just about to send someone looking for you! No one's seen you since breakfast!"

"Because it's bloody raining," Ichigo huffed, sprawling into a chair. "Who's supposed to be training with me today? I don't have classes or _anything_."

Shuni's eyes widened and she got a look in her eyes that almost disturbed Ichigo with its sadness. She gave him an uneasy but comforting smile. "I think it's his Lordship, Kurosaki-kun, but since it's raining—"

"Yo, Kurosaki," Akira came over from nowhere, punching Ichigo on the shoulder before stretching out next to him. Akira was helping with his mother, but he was in his final year at the academy. He was supposed to graduate and join the 13 Guardian Court Squads within a few months. Ichigo couldn't help but notice that even tough-as-hell Akira looked a bit wary today.

"Dude, did I grow a third head or something?" Ichigo asked, taking a large bite out of his apple.

"No, we're still in shock about your second one," Akira grinned, catching an apple from his buddy Riku, another almost-ready-to-graduate-student at the academy.

"Shut up," Ichigo snarled good-naturedly through a mouthful. He swallowed hastily, "Riku, you see my second head?"

"When someone stands behind you, yeah."

"Specially when they're taller than him, like Abarai."

"He's not taller than me!"

"He was looking for you earlier," Riku told him, sliding into another chair and staring at him with the same sort of wariness Akira had up. "He—" Akira rather obviously stepped on his foot and he finished lamely, "—was trying to find you."

Ichigo's facial expression deepened as his scowl became slightly more pronounced. "Any ideas as to _why_? Did _he_ say something to make everyone freeze in their tracks when I walked in?"

Half the staff had already hastily disappeared. The remaining kitchen aides were determinedly busy, banging things loudly and striving to stop stealing shocked glances at Ichigo. "He said some—er—stuff," Riku muttered, predictably. As tough as Akira was, Riku was usually defensive and a bit unsure of himself. It was ten thousand times easier to get anything out of Riku than it was to get something out of Akira.

Sure enough, Akira was studying his apple, hard, as if Ichigo could maybe find some answers there if he gave it to him. "Kurosaki," he said slowly, and his voice sounded as though he was trying valiantly _not_ to ask a question that he desperately wanted the answer to. "You really beat Kuchiki-sama?"

_Damn_.

He'd been hoping that everyone would be too awed by his epic status as human-shinigami or "substitute" or whatever the hell they wanted to call him these days what with wars and Espada and bloody hollow masks coming over his face in pseudo training by the captains of the Gotei-13 to actually look at his track record.

_Damn_.

"Hnnh. Where'd you hear that?" he asked easily instead of swearing.

Akira took a thoughtful bite out of his apple, his gaze suddenly piercing right through Ichigo's battered soul. "Like Riku said. Renji was yelling this morning. Something about Zaraki-taicho and himself a few times and several arrancars. . ."

Ichigo shrugged, stuffing the last of the rice balls in his mouth and swallowing. "Yeah. What of it?"

"How can you be so damn calm, dude?!" Akira finally exploded, just like Ichigo had known he would, and surging to his feet. "You're not even _dead_ and you're already one of the most freaking powerful people on the other damn side! You got people running, regular spirit energy and sword crap ain't _nothing_ to you, you got Kuchiki Rukia wrapped around your finger, you got the ability to save the universe from that bastard Aizen—how can you be so calm?!"

Ichigo blinked. "I think I'd go in-freaking-sane if I decided to consider—wait _what_ was that about Rukia?"

Akira was already collapsing back down in a huff, but he visibly paled when he heard that, as if he had let something totally inappropriate slip. Riku jumped in for him, "You just scared the hell out of us, Kurosaki. You're so flippant and laid back: hard to believe that they could be depending on you to save the universe."

Ichigo waved it off, still concentrating on Akira, "Yeah, yeah, that's my job—why'd you say that about Rukia?"

Akira mumbled something, but inaudibly.

"Ok, you'd best tell me what happened this morning. ASAP."

"You totally started this, Riku," Akira growled.

"I didn't _mean_ to!" Riku quailed, not wanting to start into _this_ subject.

"Oh, just come out with it," Ichigo sighed, ruffling his hair. "It can't be that bad. You've probably already got the all-powerful half-assed rumors pounded at you before."

"I shrugged those off," Akira argued. "I bought what you said—"

"—which wasn't a lie," Ichigo reminded him. Oh God, did they know about—they couldn't know about his mask.

"—but hearing it from Abarai-fukutaicho. . ."

"Your total idol," Ichigo smirked.

Akira scowled. "Shut up."

Riku muttered. "It made everything too real."

Ichigo suddenly blurred out of existence, leaving his apple core on the table. Riku jumped slightly. "I'll _never_ be able to use shunpo like that," he sighed wistfully.

"_Abarai_ can't use shunpo like that," Akira shot back involuntarily, flushing when Riku gave him an amused look.

Ichigo reappeared a few moments later behind Shuni, who was still wringing her hands by a sink. He gave her a hug and pressed a few flowers into her hand. "Stop worrying, Mom," he teased. "If that goofball pineapple shows back up, tell him I'm in the Fifth Garden."

He winked out again, only to come back and grab Akira and Riku, hauling them away from the prying eyes and ears in the kitchen to the Fifth Garden. The Fifth Garden at the Kuchiki Manor was technically one of Rukia's but she had given it to Shuni years ago. Shuni had outfitted it with hammocks, so it was now a quiet hangout for most of the younger generation of servants. Ichigo loved it, partially because he had won acceptance there when he had first got to the Seireitei. The Fifth Garden was where he had had to fight Akira and Riku in front of as many servants that could cram into the space where the spirit energies wouldn't affect them in order to prove his place at the manor. He'd drawn the fight out for the two students' benefit—but he had hoped that they would've never known.

The look in Akira's eyes clearly signified that he remembered though, and Ichigo felt a bit guilty.

The three of them flopped down on hammocks, and Ichigo stared dismally at the still-cloudy sky, feeling the brief sprinkle mist his face. Hopefully it wouldn't get any heavier.

_You've got Kuchiki Rukia wrapped around your finger—_

"What's this about me and Rukia?" he asked quietly, reigning in and tightly controlling his mounting anger.

The look his two friends exchanged was not lost on him, even though his eyes were still fixed on the heavens. "You had to have heard some of the—"

Ichigo waved Riku off, grimacing. Of course he'd heard some of the rumors. And he knew that they had intensified since last week—

_Ichigo showed up at the 13th Squad headquarters wearing a nondescript haori and Rukongai-worthy clothing, mainly because Akira had decided it would be funny to have someone dry clean all of what Ichigo considered "normal" clothing. He hated attracting attention when he didn't need to anyway, so maybe it was for the best. He bent over slightly, panting. It was forever from the Kuchiki residence to Rukia's division. "'Scuse me," he asked a passing shinigami he seemed to think was probably the 17th or 15th seat of the squad. He looked vaguely familiar. "Could you tell me where I could find Kuchiki Rukia right now?"_

_The guy gave him a once-over and let out a bark of laughter. "Filth matches filth, I suppose," he snorted derisively. _

"_Excuse me," Ichigo said again calmly, more pronounced this time as he beat down frighteningly out-of-control feelings of rage that scared him. "What was that?" _

_The man sneered. "Everyone knows she's not powerful enough to be considered for vice-captain, noble or no, so—" _

_Needless to say, a few members of the Fourth Division were hauling away a rather beat-up member of the 13th who was blubbering about an orange-haired demon not much later. _

"_Rukia!" Ichigo yelled, bursting into an office area and appearing in front of the gaping Fourth Seat. He barely heard the shocked gasp of quite a few of her underlings when his arms caged her against the wall. "Why didn't you tell me Ukitake wanted you as vice?" he snarled. _

_The startled shinigami of that work space were left blinking in shock at an empty patch of air that had previously held a vaguely known civilian stranger and the noble Kuchiki Rukia. _

_They reappeared in one of the 13th Squad gardens. "Ichigo!" Rukia growled, kicking his shin violently and letting go of his haori. "I'm working! I told you, don't bother me!" _

"_You like it," Ichigo smirked, still just inches away form her face, seemingly unperturbed by her forceful kick, one hand holding her arm. _

_Rukia threw her hands in the air and wrenched herself out of his grasp. "You're impossible! And yes, they want me to be fukutaicho, but it's _new_ news, only some of my squad know about it—"_

"—_enough to have crap being said about you!" _

_Rukia's eyes widened in understanding. "_You_ sent—"_

_Ichigo shrugged. It had taken him longer than expected to find her. Long enough for the man to be found, and Rukia to find out about it. "He got into it with me. He totally asked for it." _

_Rukia palmed her face, shaking her head. "I was somehow hoping that there could be more than one orange-haired demon in Soul Society." _

"_Ah, _you_ don't think I'm a demon." _

_Rukia sent him a piercing glare that somehow managed to send shivers crawling around his neck. "Sometimes I do." _

_The feeling was rising again, the feeling he constantly tried to suppress with varying degrees of success when around her. A feeling of heat, protectiveness, possessiveness, hunger, and infatuation all compounded into one driving need, a desperate want that would be, if unleashed, as overpowering as his un-caged hollow. _

_A feeling that he felt was strictly forbidden and best kept unnoticed, however hard that would be. _

_Rukia passed a weary hand over her eyes, and Ichigo couldn't help but notice she looked much more peeved than usual. "What were you doing here, anyway?"_

"_I was going to offer to take you to lunch," Ichigo muttered, his mood suddenly shifting into the "very embarrassed" category. He knew how that sounded, and he hadn't meant it like that, or, at least, not _really_. "I mean, Renji said you haven't been getting out much, and that he knew a place we could go since I don't have any classes until tonight, and that he would stop by because he hasn't seen you since he got back from Okinawa." _

_Ichigo caught sight of an odd light in her eyes, one that made him move back towards her in a split second, without thought, without conscious effort. But it was gone as soon as it had come, leaving him breathless and furious with himself for making it disappear. _

"_What do you say?" he asked, confused to what his body was doing, confused to why his mind was so unfocused. She wasn't supposed to have _any_ effect on him, and yet the muscles in his abdomen tightened when her tongue flicked out to nervously lick her small but full lips, and his pulse quickened as her one small hand rested on his chest, just below his shoulder. _

"_Ichigo—" she said, the tired note still lingering in her voice. He was suddenly very aware of the fact that her touch was much more gentle than usual. _

"_How 'bout I tell Renji to wait?" he said a bit huskily, his hands suddenly on her forearms, drawing her closer. He couldn't smother the raging desire to bring that light back into her eyes—he rarely saw it, and it made him _dizzy_. "We don't get enough time together anymore, and you obviously need a break." _

_He reached out to smooth her hair back, something his only slightly younger self would never have done. The light blossomed, but he could see she was fighting it for some reason. He pushed her stray black strand behind her ear, and, as his fingers lingered just a smidge too long on her cheek, her eyes suddenly _blazed_, the light winning, and she crumpled without warning against him. _

"_Rukia?" he asked softly. "Did you even sleep last night? I don't remember you coming back to the mansion."_

"_No," she mumbled into his shirt. "There's so much to do—" _

"—_and Byakuya to avoid," Ichigo finished for her, trying to imagine the stoic noble's face when Rukia broke the news. He wouldn't have taken it kindly, not at all. It had taken Ichigo, Renji, Ukitake, and at-her-best-noble Rukia with a little help from Byakuya's Third Seat and even the Commander to get him to consent to her being the Fourth Seat of Ukitake's division. _

_He guided her over to a bench, and it was only this close that he felt the dangerously depleted pulse of her spirit energy brush against him; his spirit force was so strong that he hadn't noticed the absence of hers at first. As he looked down at her, he saw the circles under her eyes, and became painfully aware of the trembling of her exhausted muscles. _

_She slumped against him when they settled onto the bench, but she seemed to draw strength from his muscled arm wrapped around her, straightening slightly. He jumped when she suddenly buried her face back into his haori. "I don't want to talk to him again." _

"_You already did?!" he asked incredulously, his arm tightening unconsciously around her too-thin shoulders. _

"_It's no good. And now I have idiots talking about me—" _

"_Not for long," Ichigo snarled, surprising even himself._

"_Hmmmhhh," she hummed into his chest, causing his ears to tingle unnaturally. _

"_Go to sleep, Rukia. I'll wake you up in a little while." _

"_Really?" she murmured, burrowing farther into his shoulder. _

_He looked down at her, severely worried by her behavior. "Yeah. I'll always be here when you need me," he replied involuntarily. _

_He could almost hear the smirk in her voice. "I thought I told you never to save me, idiot," but she yawned, ruining the effect. _

"_Like I've ever listened to you, midget," he snorted. "Go to sleep." _

_She mumbled something inaudible, and drifted off with barely a protest. _

_He sat still for a few minutes until he knew she was asleep and then gently probed for any injuries or abrasions. There were a few bandages—nothing major, but she hadn't gotten them attended to. "Damn it all, you're a stubborn moron," he muttered, carefully lifting her up into his arms as not to wake her. She merely snuggled into his neck, eliciting heat that spread sporadically throughout his body. He hastily ignored the inappropriate feelings and proceeded to flash step directly to Ukitake-taicho's office. _

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed that brief breathe of fresh Ichiruki breeze! And –gasp- what in the world have Renji and Byaky-kun done?! Expect much more in next chapter! This fic will be short—prolly about three-ish chapters. Maybe an epilogue.

Thanks for reading!

~Conterra-hime

(There was some nonsense posted here, ignore that if you saw it)


	2. Raining China

Disclaimer: ORIHIME SHALL DIE (clearly not Taito-sensei)

A/N: Ah, and so inspiration has struck. I've always known where I was going with this story, but for some reason got really stuck on this chapter. "Really stuck" is usually measured in years for me. Lol. University= no fan fic. Sorry about that. I think I can actually finish this story within a month.

I was rereading Bleach in my volume formats. And I cried, when I was reading volume 18. Sad, I know. Ukitake, Shunsui, Rukia, Ichigo, and Renji are just so adorable and so incredibly _good_, it makes me cry with the heartwarminess and sadness of it all. Then when I got to volume 23, I just couldn't stand it anymore (especially since the most important aspect of this fic is blatantly mentioned in volume 23).

But enough of my ridiculous emotions. And so. . .the scene opens in an unseen garden where rain is falling, where three teens are contemplating the universe, each with their own thoughts. . .how dangerous.

**Sakura in the Snow**

**Chapter 2:**

**Raining China**

The rain was getting heavier.

The three friends ignored it, swaying gently in their hammocks in the Fifth Garden. It was a silent agreement among the teens that after the near-tangible tension in the house, the rain was comforting and cleansing.

Ichigo lifted his face to the droplets, reveling in their gentle caress. The rain joined him with Chad, with his family, with Tatsuki, with Orihime and all the others he had left back in the land of the living. Most importantly, it joined him with Rukia. Feeling it trickle down his face was like the touch of Rukia's spiritual energy, gentle and cool.

He shook his head to clear it, appreciating the fact that Akira and Riku were quiet as he reminisced. What had Riku said? "I've heard the rumors," he said finally, closing his eyes against the idea of the exceedingly asinine gossip. _No privacy._

Riku colored a bit. "Yes, well. Abarai-fuk—"

"What do you think about the rumors?" Ichigo abruptly interrupted.

Akira was chewing thoughtfully on a stalk of peppermint he'd found in a flower bed. "Ano, they're pretty wild. They go from you two being madly in love and having a secret affair to Byakuya having hired you as a bodyguard that Rukia only reluctantly puts up with. There are obviously some rather negative ones, but there is one particular rumor at the academy that I think is legit. They say most of the Gotei-captain-class shinigami and a good deal of the seats have a betting pool on you two. Some of the older students in my class claim to be in on it, actually."

"Seriously?" Ichigo choked. He'd thought at least that one was a joke. . .

"Yeah," Akira grinned. "There's a lot of money at stake, apparently. Kurosaki?"

"What?"

"Sorry about my outburst. It's just—unnerving, you know? I should have known when you beat both me and Riku while we were in shikai without anything fancy."

"I don't usually do 'fancy,'" Ichigo groused.

"Is any of it true?" asked Riku suddenly. He wouldn't meet Ichigo's eyes.

"Well. . ." Ichigo didn't know what to say. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" Akira nearly yelled. "Really?" For some reason, he actually didn't seem that surprised.

"What's going on here?" Ichigo asked suspiciously.

"Well done, Akira," Riku said acidly. "Sorry he's being as ass, Kurosaki. We're kinda ahead of you. Well, all the servants pretty much are, I think. . ."

Ichigo sighed in exasperation. "I suppose this has to do with damn Abarai Renji, right?"

"Yeah, and Rukia got back about an hour or two ago. She was sort of involved, too."

"Sort of?" Akira snorted.

"Ok, ok, but let's start with Abarai-fukutaicho, alright?" Riku snapped almost uncharacteristically. "We were serving breakfast this morning. Well I was, Akira was sort of standing around aimlessly, like usual—"

"It is called 'formal attendant,'" Akira snarled. "It's not my fault that today I was chosen to stand against the wall, ok? But I did clean up the dish Abarai threw."

"He did WHAT?" Ichigo exploded.

"Erm, right. . ."

And together they launched into a detailed explanation of breakfast with Byakuya that morning.

_Abarai Renji only came to the Kuchiki Manor for meals when Rukia begged him to come, Ichigo demanded that he come, or when he invited himself over._

_So more often than one would expect. _

_This morning was one of the latter, when he had warned Byakuya that he was coming for breakfast by way of butterfly and then unceremoniously appeared on the doorstep—not literally though, because he still hadn't strengthened his long-distance flash steps to the point where running was completely unnecessary. _

_He was determined to speak with Byakuya on behalf of Rukia. He hated watching her overwork herself simply to avoid him, and he hated having to watch her suffer her brother's wrath whenever she mentioned the two matters he wished to discuss with his captain._

_Rukia was suppressing herself to please her brother, and Renji wouldn't have it any longer. He wasn't to the point where he could defeat Byakuya, but he didn't need to strive to do that any longer. Now he was at the point where he could flatly explain to Byakuya exactly how he felt and then proceed to have a shouting match with him. And he could back up his shouts with enough power so that Byakuya would at least not be able to kill him, or reduce him to shreds again. _

_The two comrades calmly ate breakfast with the rest of the Kuchiki clan, and it wasn't long before the room had cleared out and Byakuya and Renji were left staring at each other across the table. "Speak your mind, Renji," Byakuya said as the last noble excused himself with a bow. _

"_I intend to," Renji said calmly. "I want to talk to you about Rukia." _

_Byakuya placed his spoon carefully on the table and smoothed out his napkin. "I thought as much. Continue." _

"_First off, meaning no disrespect, Taicho, you have to lay off her about Kurosaki." _

_Byakuya's eyebrows shot up and he looked at Renji inquiringly. "Explain." _

_Renji figured that this would be the hard part. Byakuya was her big brother, and he might not even fully realize what he was doing. "Listen, if she wants to be with the strawberry oaf, you should let her." His mouth felt dry for a moment. It had taken a long time to realize that he had let all romantic feelings for Rukia go, but it was still a realization that left him stunned every once in a while. _

_Byakuya blinked. "The boy is human. And he is not of noble blood." _

"_That's a lie if you ever told one," Renji growled. "You know his father was born here, that he left when he was past captain level." _

_The leader of the Kuchiki household stared impassively at his vice captain. "His humanity makes him weak. His training is not going as well as could be expected." _

"_You think a weakling beat you, Taicho?" Renji growled. "You thinking a weakling destroyed the both of us, Zaraki Kenpachi, and the Thousand-Strong Zanpaktou on Traitor's Hill? You think a weakling defeated Espada 6 and all the Arrancar who threatened Karakura countless times? Is that what you think?" _

"_He has shown enormous potential," Captain Six conceded. "But that does not—"_

"_You have seen him at his greatest!" Renji yelled, glad that none of his other friends from the Soul Society could hear this. He didn't want anyone hearing him admit that Ichigo was better than him. "He told me that you showed him the end of your bankai! And he lived to tell me that tale, Kuchiki-taicho, so I do not think you that should be doubting him. And you saw what he did to the Espada Aizen threw at him. He matched them blow for blow and left their ashes behind him, just as you did when you fought Aizen's army. He fought as you did, Byakuya, you cannot deny the merit in that." _

_There was a heavy silence over the table before Renji continued. "And lay off Rukia about—" _

_He could not finish that sentence, as his captain already knew what he was going to say next. Byakuya Kuchiki stood up and his eyes flashed for the first time that morning. Renji also rose. "I will not have it. As I will not have her consorting with Kurosaki Ichigo." _

"_Are the two connected?" Renji asked. "I have known Rukia longer than you, Byakuya, and she's my sister as much as she is yours. I haven't wanted to kick your ass for a while now, but if you aren't going to let this go, I might have to change my mind." _

"_Of course the two are connected. Rukia would be in grave danger if I gave into her demands on this matter. More danger than I wish to expose her to and I thought that you might agree with me on that, Renji. And Ichigo presents danger, even more danger to Rukia if I allow what you wish to be. How do I know that he would protect her?" _

_Renji heard the unspoken ending to that sentence. Byakuya was not confident in Ichigo's ability to control himself. He did not know if Ichigo could protect Rukia from himself. "Ichigo is currently protecting all of us from Aizen, so I do not understand why he can't protect your sister. You cannot protect Rukia from herself, either, Byakuya. She has been too strong for her own good for years now. You have to let her make her own mistakes." _

"_I will not allow Rukia to be exposed in such a way. She is not strong enough." _

"_She _is_, Byakuya! Her zanpaktou is a legend, and she can control _all_ of Sode no Shirayuki's dances!" _

"_And I can summon all the power of a white zanpaktou, but why are you two talking about me?" Rukia asked, walking in and stripping gloves from her hands. _

"_Rukia," Byakuya bowed. "You have returned." _

_Renji walked over, picked her up, and swung her around, muttering, "I've been trying to argue your case." _

_Byakuya looked a bit stony as he surveyed his sister. She flung an exasperated look at Renji and then sat down at the table, motioning Byakuya to sit with her. Renji politely walked away. _

_The whispered conversation between the siblings was clearly heated, but Renji only caught bits of it. When their voices began to rise, he stalked back over to them. "Taicho," he said, trying to get his attention. "Taicho. Byakuya!"_

_Neither of them heard his attempts at drawing their attention until he picked up a plate and threw it at the wall above their heads. They both cringed at the crash and Rukia jumped up, sweeping shards of china off her sleeve. "You don't get to decide how I feel about Ichigo," she seethed at the wide-eyed Byakuya. "Thanks for trying, Renji, but I think someone is just going to have to teach my brother a lesson." _

"—and then she stalked out of the room in high gudgeon," Riku finished.

Ichigo had remained totally and inexplicably silent during the entire tale, and Riku and Akira looked at each other worriedly. Then—

"I want to kill Renji," Ichigo growled, rolling out of the hummock and leaping to his feet. "Why was he looking for me if he knows that I want to kill him?"

"That's the next bit," Akira said calmly. "The whole complex knows—"

"What else could they know?" Ichigo gritted out. "It sounds like they know _everything_."

"—that Byakuya disappeared shortly after breakfast, and Abarai was looking for you because he hasn't the faintest idea as to where he or Rukia went. He must figure that you won't kill him out of worry for the two Kuchiki sibilings."

Ichigo froze for a moment. "Maybe," he admitted. "But we'll see. You know where he is?"

"I think he was in the drawing room last."

Ichigo stayed still for another moment, rubbing his forehead as his thoughts raged in an incomprehensible storm. It had been too much, too fast, and his heart felt like it was going to beat its way out of his chest.

One thought surfaced, and his hands dropped from his face to be replaced by a distinctly stony expression.

Screw Byakuya. Rukia wanted _him_. That made Rukia _his_.

"Thank you for dealing with all of this, guys," Ichigo growled. "I'm going to go find Renji. And just some advice—maybe you two should go put down a couple last minute bets in that pool you told me about."

A/N: What in the world is going on here? –smirks- Sorry for being so obnoxious. Actually if you lot think about the title for a minute, I'm sure you'll figure it out. XD

I cut this chapter a little short so I could have the next one done and post next week! If you review. Yes I am bribing you XD

Thanks for your patience, and see you again next Friday!

~Conterra-hime


	3. Misty Memories

A/N: Determined to finish this. I love Ichiruki. I don't even know what is going on in Bleach right now. I've heard rumors though, and I'm taking my time catching up.

Working up to the climax- the real point of this story. We'll see if we hit it.

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**Sakura in the Snow**

**Chapter Three:**

**Misty Memories**

Ichigo didn't go straight to the drawing room. He went back through the servant corridors and to his room to pick up Zangetsu. Just in case.

He also shrugged into his uniform because he couldn't dream of fighting without it and he might have to do some fighting when he found Renji. Or, for that matter, Byakuya.

His eyes fell on the picture on his desk and he realized that he probably needed to calm down a little bit.

That made him smirk. He _had_ grown up, if only a little. Rukia would be proud.

Looking at her just made everything swirl faster, however.

"_You have to lay off her about Kurosaki."_

"_You don't get to decide how I feel about Ichigo!" _

It had been too much to hope for. He hadn't spent all this time deliberately ignoring the worst of his feelings and being confused around her because he had _wanted_ to suppress himself and be confused. He had done it to protect her—he had done it because all he wanted was to protect her and he was almost sure that that also entailed protecting her from himself. He had to protect her from not only his erratic powers but also from his feelings—feelings that would get them both in trouble, because she couldn't want them too.

Although he had obviously been questioning that recently. Because recently he had thought that maybe all of his confusion was warranted because she wasn't just being naively oblivious, she was being—receptive?

He scrubbed his palm across his face as he thought about the day she had left, only a few days after the incident at her squad.

"_I'm still fit for this mission, especially since you dragged me to Fourth," Rukia glared. "Actually, maybe it's best that you did that because I probably wouldn't have been fit to go otherwise. And I have to go." _

"_You don't have to go, Rukia," Ichigo tried. "Screw Byakuya, he'll come around, just try sleeping in the damn house once in a while and maybe even eating with him on a regular basis again! He has a soft spot for midgets." _

_She hit him. "He only has a soft spot for me, and only when he doesn't think I'm being foolish. And apparently I'm being foolish."_

"_I don't—"_

"_He doesn't care what you think, Ichigo!" Rukia steamed, flinging her arms out and hitting him again. "Since I care about what you think, and he doesn't care about what I think—"_

"_You sure don't act like you care about what I think, you harpie," he groused, rubbing his arm._

_She colored and flitted to his side, burrowing under his arm and hugging him quickly. He was momentarily stunned, but his quick reflexes allowed him to pin her to him before she could pull away. "I was trying to say goodbye here," she growled, voice muffled by his chest. _

"_And I'm just making sure it's a proper goodbye," he told her, as he engulfed her in his arms, marveling at how tiny she was, how breakable. He was almost ready to say that Byakuya was right and that she wasn't ready to be a vice captain, but after ruefully shrugging his shoulder, he was reminded that that wasn't true. Midget packed a punch like a MMA fighter. "Don't do something stupid just because you're pissed with your dumbass brother," he told her. "There would be a lot more people pissed then. Including me." _

_She tried to pull back and he let her so that she could look up at him. That bright look was in her eyes, and he had to catch his breath, will himself not to do something stupid. He loved that look too much for his own good. "Take care of yourself, Ichigo."_

_He ruffled her hair, ignoring the constriction that was starting in his chest. She'd be gone again and it would be annoying as hell. "Right, right. And don't make me come after you, midget." _

_Instead of an angry retort, he got another squeeze around the middle and his hand still resting on her head involuntarily tightened a bit, digging his fingers into her hair. For a wild moment he imagined hoisting her up, fisting both of his hands in her hair, that intense, fiery look in her eyes egging him on as her lips parted and he—_

_He let go, and so did she. All his wild moments belonged to his hollow now. He didn't have a single to spare. _

_She didn't look at him as she pulled away, and she murmured. "I thought it would get easier, but instead every time just gets harder than the last. Goodbye, Ichigo." _

"_Rukia."_

_She stopped walking, but didn't look back. "Don't forget that I'll be waiting when you get back. You know I still don't like it when it's raining." _

_In his soul. The rain. When she was far away from him. One thing he knew._

"_I know. I'll come back as soon as I can, I promise."_

_He couldn't help it. "Make it as fast as possible, Rukia."_

_He thought he saw her shudder, but she kept right on walking. _

Ichigo shook his head. No time to dwell on the past.

But another memory surfaced unwillingly to bolster his resolve—

"_It's insulting to a warrior to have someone worry about his welfare," Renji said, a rare moment where his many years fighting, living, and breathing for and with Byakuya shone through. _

"_You're worried about me, aren't you? Why else would you say that, Ichigo? I told you before, don't worry about me." _

Easy for you to say, _Ichigo thought, his mind somehow still working even though he was marginally stunned. _

"_I didn't come here just to have you protect me!" Rukia finished, her piercing gaze burning and shaming him into agreeing that they should split up, that they should each take a different path into the depths of the palace in Hueco Mundo. . ._

Rukia had saved his life at least twice from arrancar. He couldn't stop her, didn't want to stop her from standing up to her brother for the right to be a higher ranking officer. He would always worry, but that was because he—

He—

Ichigo clenched his fists and willed himself to leave the room. He had to find her. She deserved a chance at vice-captain, and he wanted to deserve a chance with her.

In a couple of minutes he was in the drawing room, silently watching Renji whisper furiously to a hell butterfly.

"She hasn't been in her office all morning? Are you sure?" A pause. "And she still hasn't reported to Ukitake?" Another pause. "Keep me posted, Third Seat Sentaro."

Renji blew the hell butterfly away and it fluttered above his head as he slumped in a chair, tugging at his spiky hair. "Hey, pineapple."

Renji jumped from the chair so fast, it looked like someone had electrocuted him. "Argh!"

Ichigo smirked, but the expression didn't really conceal the fact that he was furious. "Nice work this morning, moron."

Renji growled and steeled his shoulders. "I did it partially for you, you overgrown carrot! Why else would I argue with Byakuya if it wasn't for my friends?"

Ichigo nodded his head fractionally. "Fair. Completely unnecessary, but fair point."

Renji was suddenly embarrassed, and looked away, scratching his neck as he stared at the empty fireplace. "Who the hell told you, anyway?"

"Akira and Riku."

Renji scowled. "If Akira wants in to Division Six, he shouldn't spread rumors about superior officers."

Ichigo scoffed. "Yeah, ok, Renji. Like you don't talk about Byakuya every chance you get. Don't be a dumbass."

"I can be a dumbass if I want to be!" Renji huffed. "I can't get anything straight in my head right now."

"I mean, you lost both the Kuchikis, I wouldn't be able to get my head in order either."

"I did not _lose_ them—"

"Oh yeah, pineapple brain? Then where are they?"

Renji slumped back into a chair. "Hell if I know."

"You're being useless, you know?" Ichigo fumed. "Pissing off Byakuya, misplacing Rukia, spreading rumors about me—"

"I didn't say a thing that wasn't true," Renj grumbled. "As much as it pains me to admit it."

"Which is worse, you bastard! Does it look like I want the whole damn world to know shit about me? I already can't live with myself half the time."

"I cocked up, man, I already said I was sorry! Can you move past this already?"

"Where did they go after they left?" Ichigo gritted out, running a hand through his hair, his other tight on the grip of Zangetsu.

"Long-rage flash-steps," Renji snapped, pulling out a living world communicator. "And they didn't bail dimensions, or I'd know."

There was a long pause while Ichigo collected himself. He couldn't stop his memories from catching him mid-thought and thrusting Rukia at him.

"_You're such an idiot," she scoffed as she helped him up after his first training session with Zaraki. Zaraki was currently encased in ice; otherwise he would still be wailing on Ichigo. "Next time set a time limit or that big lug will never stop." _

"_Right," grumbled Ichigo, holding his side and wincing. "He tore me up pretty bad." _

"_You got him pretty good, too," Rukia sighed, casting an expert eye over Zaraki, whose wounds were crystal-clear through the layer of ice. "Renji!"_

_Renji dropped to the arena floor, smirking. "That was a good show, strawberry," he said. _

_Ichigo glared. "You went and got her, didn't you?" _

"_Guilty as charged," Renji shrugged. "What do you want me to do, Rukia?" _

"_Go get Ikkaku and you two should probably wrestle Captain Ten over to Squad Four when he cracks through that. It shouldn't be long now, maybe a minute or two." _

"_Great," Renji grumbled before sprinting into the division headquarters, roaring for his bald friend. _

"_Let's get out of here," Rukia huffed, half-dragging Ichigo towards the gates. "I don't really want Zaraki to attack me any more than I want him targeting you." _

_They got about halfway to Fourth Squad before Rukia gave up and sent a hell butterfly for Byakuya. When he appeared he took one look at the half-conscious Deputy Soul Reaper, grasped him by the scruff of his neck and promptly disappeared. The both of them turned up in Unohana's office, who seemed unsurprised and simply began patching the teenager up, asking Byakuya why he hadn't told Zaraki to stop after the allotted time. _

_Byakuya was in the middle of a vague and stilted answer when Ichigo coughed and growled, "You just wanted to see how long that could go on, didn't you, you bastard?" _

_A small smile curled the stoic noble's lips, but he didn't reply. "Rukia will be here soon, Unohana-san. I am going back to my squad." _

_When Rukia arrived Ichigo was already being forced to rest in a too-white room. It reminded him of his hollow and he was having problems actually closing his eyes and sleeping. _

"_Do you remember that time when Grimmjow was about to kill me and you froze him right in his tracks?" he said suddenly, causing her to look at him, startled. She had thought that maybe he was asleep. _

_He turned over so he was facing her and winced. "You almost died. I was so weak. If I had been able to get up, you would have been fine." _

"_I _was_ fine," she reminded him. "And you're stronger now. Maybe even strong enough to beat Aizen." _

"_I always seem to get you hurt," Ichigo muttered. "That's the only reason I want to get stronger, so I stop hurting you." _

"_That's ridiculous," Rukia growled, hitting his shoulder lightly. "You couldn't hurt me if you tried." _

"_Thanks for stopping that blood-crazed bastard," he muttered instead. "I wish I was half as smart as you are. You always know when enough is enough." Maybe the anesthetic was making his tongue loose. . ._

_Rukia blushed and the look in her eyes was indescribable; Ichigo wished that he could hoist himself up on an elbow to get a better look at it. "Go to sleep," she said softly. "I'll stay here. Renji's coming in a few minutes, too. We'll wake you up in a couple of hours." _

_He closed his eyes finally, and she said, "Maybe I should give you painkillers more often. I like the way you talk when you're on them." _

"_Sentimental?" he grumbled. _

"_I was hoping it was honest." _

"_Honest. Honestly, thank you Rukia. For everything."_

"_You're welcome, Ichigo. For everything." _

"I suppose I should at least say thanks for trying," he finally offered, his eyes shut tight in concentration.

Renji got up and came over to clap him on the shoulder. "You're welcome. Where do you think they are?"

Ichigo didn't have time to answer before a colossal explosion rocked the estate, causing both of them to stagger and shaking the building like it was a sheet of paper caught in the wind.

A/N: Oh man, where are the Kuchiki siblings? Forthcoming. . .hopefully next Friday!


	4. Maelstrom

A/N: Well, we hit the storm last chapter, but not the climax. Do you get the title yet?

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**Sakura in the Snow**

**Chapter Four:**

**Maelstrom**

Ichigo had been looking out the window when the explosion had rocked the house. He would have been out the doors of the drawing room before they stopped shaking, but instead he was frozen momentarily by what he saw outside.

Although the window did not face the main courtyard where the destructive force had come from, he could still clearly see storm clouds gathering unnaturally over the mansion. Blowing gently past the glass, apparently ignoring the incoming storm, were sakura petals.

Ichigo didn't think. Both he and Renji were out of the room and down a hallway and fighting through a crowd of upset servants in the next second. Ichigo gave up. Gently pushing an old woman and her daughter aside, he made a beeline for the nearest window.

He was on the ground and running around the building before the servants knew the window had shattered. Renji followed in his wake, grumbling.

As they passed the gardens, a shout rang out. "Kurosaki! Kurosaki!"

Akira and Riku emerged from the fourth garden pounding towards the two soul reapers. "Go inside," Ichigo snapped.

"Yes," Renji echoed, his tone that of authority, which was still strange for Ichigo to hear in his friend. "You don't even have zanpaktou."

Akira scoffed. "That's what they think."

Renji gave him a sharp look. "I would ask how you obtained zanpaktou, Cadet Nakamura, if I felt like you would actually tell me."

Akira shrugged. "Riku and I received zanpaktou from our souls a while ago. We just haven't made a big deal about it."

"Except when you went after me," Ichigo grumbled.

"That was an extenuating circumstance," Riku grinned, pulling a short sword from within his robe. "What do you think happened?"

"I don't know," Ichigo said grimly. "But Byakuya released Senbonzakura."

Riku faltered, but he kept running when Akira punched him. The more timid boy swallowed. "Some sort of unknown massive destructive force that has caused Lord Kuchiki to go into shikai. No big deal. I've probably seen worse."

That startled a laugh from Renji. "That's it, chin up, Cadet Ohayashi."

"Yes sir," Riku said grimly.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, trying not to think too much about what he was running towards. Anger and worry twisted inside him to fuel his adrenaline and he ran faster.

The memory of the first time he had seen Byakuya in bankai still turned his stomach.

And the last time he had seen storm clouds like that—

They rounded the side of the main house, emerging into the main courtyard where the servants streaming out of the house were gathering and gaping.

The four men skidded to a stop, their swords dropping limply to their sides, and they gaped too.

There was a miniature snowstorm raging in the middle of the courtyard. Sakura petals were flickering through the storm with a vengeance, turning the whole scene into an eerie rosy snow globe.

"Dammit," breathed Renji.

"Screw me sideways," Ichigo agreed.

"Nakamura, go alert the Captain-General," Renji breathed. "Ohayashi, go with him. Leave your zanpaktou here."

Ichigo couldn't bring himself to spare a glance for his two friends, but he knew there was only a moment's hesitation before the two swords were in Renji's hand. "Hai!" they chorused, and set off, skirting the courtyard and disappearing off towards Division One.

He was transfixed by the storm before him, because it couldn't be true but—

A silence stretched between he and Renji as they watched, tensed and too shocked to move.

"I'm not seeing this," Renji finally decided, his voice coming out as a croak.

Ichigo felt like his skin was shaking itself to bits—part of it was that his hollow wanted out, there was a battle to be won here. But that was almost easy to control; the real problem was far more complicated.

Rukia's spiritual energy was washing over him in waves, and it simultaneously made him want to kill her, save her, or love her. Damn.

"How did this happen?!" Ichigo snarled, his fists clenched tight against his anger, his hollow, the alluring effect of Rukia's spirit energy.

"Should we stop them?" Renji half-choked out, his eyes widening.

"I want to," growled Ichigo, "but I don't think we could even if we tried."

Renji tore his eyes away from the spectacle before him to stare at the faux soul reaper who was clearly trying to control his anger and fear. There were beads of sweat on his brow, and his aura was fluctuating wildly, gaining tinges of hollow energy before flickering and dying and then springing back again. Renji knew that Ichigo was completely capable of stopping Byakuya—

"They'd ignore us," Ichigo explained. "Look at them, dancing around each other. The maelstrom would part like the Red Sea to accommodate us or merely close again to sweep us away.

"You can't fight an opponent who won't face you."

Neither of them could fight sakura in the snow. Because neither of them could fight Byakuya with Rukia standing in the way.

A/N: AH HA. Well, what now?

Until next time. . .


End file.
